The Day We Disappeared From The World
by knation12
Summary: Yuna, Rikku, Tidus, and Paine go on a mission to a newly uncovered temple in the Thunder Plains. When they arrive, Yuna tells them that there is more going on than they know. The group gets separated, and events cause Tidus and Rikku to fall into a world of trouble. Literally. Was originally M, but due to new guidelines, I thought I should change it. -A Tidus/Rikku fic.
1. Chapter 1

"Augh, Rikku, hurry it up, will ya? We're gonna be late for the wedding! Not even Yuna would forgive us for that!" I yelled, urging her out of the bathroom. What could she be doing in there, anyway? I never did understand why women take so long to get ready.

"Hold your chocobos, Tidus, geez!" She shouted back through the door. I heard the click of the mascara lid closing, and Rikku walked out of the door. "Well?"

"W-Wow… You look… I mean, just… Wow…" I was speechless at the blond girl's transformation. Of course, she was plenty good looking in her normal clothes, but Yevon! She was in a tight, sepia dress cascading perfectly down her body and ending at her knees. Around her stomach, she wore a large, decorative, black belt, lined gorgeously with small, sparkling crystals around the buckle. Her hair was done up in a tight bun in the back, with her bangs hanging freely in the front, curled slightly so that they would frame her face. And, Yevon, the most beautiful thing about all of it were those spiral, green eyes, amplified beautifully by the eyeliner and mascara. Occasionally on our travels, I would find myself gazing into those eyes, getting lost in the tiny spirals inside. But now, I couldn't help it. My mouth hung slightly open as my eyes locked on to hers, leaving me speechless.

"Umm, Tidus? Hello?" Rikku waved her hand in my face, snapping me out of my trance. "You okay? You look a little spacy there."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Let's go. We're gonna be late! We have what, two hours to get to Besaid, and we're all the way in New Zanarkand. Where the hell is that Airship?" The airship in question, The Celsius, was piloted by two _very_ unreliable boys who go by the name of Brother and Buddy. Brother was a bit strange, but his antics become rather enjoyable after getting to know him. He is also Rikku's brother, hence the name, and has a crush on Yuna… His cousin… Who's getting married today. Like I said, strange fellow. On the other hand, there's Buddy. He is just about the polar opposite of Brother. He's a pretty normal guy, a bit sarcastic, but a great friend. Rikku also tells me there was another crew member named Shinra, but no one knows what happened to him. She tells me the last thing he was working on before he disappeared was something called the 'Mako Project'. I asked about it, and Rikku told me it was something about harnessing energy from inside the earth, amplify it through the use of the spheres, and use it to power the cities. His position was taken over by another man by the name of Frederick. I dialed his number quickly and waited for his voice to come through the receiver.

"_Rammu_?" A baritone voice chimed through the small speaker of my communicator.

"Come on Frederick, enough with the Al Bhed. Where the hell are you? I am NOT gonna be late for my best friend's wedding."

"Is that Freddy? Put him on speaker!" Rikku chimed in with a chipper voice, smiling from ear to ear. Rikku had been my roommate for about a year and a half now, due to certain… Let's say… Pushing circumstances. She and I had been on a sphere hunt with Yuna and Paine when it happened.

The day she and I disappeared from the world.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own FFX, X-2 or any of its characters.

Notes: The last chapter was just kind of a crappy prologue, and I wanted to see if people would be interested. I said if I got ONE reviewer, I'd continue, and I got one, so… Here it is.

Thanks to my reviewer! :)

**Chapter One, Day One:**

"Yuna, I'm getting huge wave signals from the Zanarkand Ruins. The Oscillo-Finder is going crazy! We'd better get down there fast." Buddy fiddled with the switches on his control panel as he relayed the news. Finally, a mission! I thought flying around was all these Gullwings did.

"Everyone ready?" Yuna psyched up the team, doing as best as she could to be a good leader.

"Y… R… P, ready to go! I bet there's gonna be some great fiend ass to kick down there!" I just grunted awkwardly as Rikku pumped her fists into the air. Seriously, can't this girl ever sit still? She didn't even notice her new teammate standing right next to her… not that she ever did. Paine just chuckled, and Yuna glanced at me awkwardly.

"I think you're forgetting someone, Rikku." Paine walked to the ship's exit with her sword, and jumped out, landing on the dirt below. Rikku froze and slowly turned her gaze toward me. Huh… I guess she can stay still. When she giggled, It started me up, too. Seriously. It was hilarious, her standing there, grabbing my hands in hers and shaking them up and down, apologizing nonstop. It was like watching a six year old apologize for breaking a lamp.

"I'm sorry, Tidus! Really! It's just that, you know, you've been gone so long and I'm just used to YRP, you know, and you were just standing there quietly, and I didn't notice you, and I'm _really_ sorry, you know, and… Hey, why are you laughing?" She made a pouty face at me as I giggled. It was so cute, the way her lips stuck out when she got frustrated. I'd often tease Rikku just to see that face. I tussled her hair and followed Paine out of the airship.

"H- Hey, wait up!" Rikku shortly ran after me, and Yuna followed suit.

Yuna stared fixedly at Tidus and Rikku. What was this strange feeling bubbling up inside her chest? It was the same when she watched that sphere of Shuyin where he mentioned needing to save Lenne. Was it… Jealousy? No way… Why would she be jealous? Rikku and Tidus were just playing around as they always did. So why was it eating away at her like this. Yuna had noticed the subtle flirting Rikku and Tidus did with each other from time to time, but she had just chosen to ignore it and pretend it was her imagination running wild. She had to admit, when Tidus tussled Rikku's hair like that earlier, she honestly wanted to push Rikku out of the way and feel his warm, tan hands on her head. She groaned and walked toward the team, rather gruffly.

"Okay guys, enough play. Let's go find ourselves a sphere!" Yuna spit out her words, feigning her happy demeanor, and walked towards the old temple.


	3. Chapter 3

Yuna walked briskly, her boots echoing in the large anteroom of the damp temple. Where there should have been five statues of the High Summoners before her, only two stood above her and the rest like gatekeepers to the Cloister of Trials. This temple had only been discovered recently by an Al Bhed group surveying the Thunder Plains. A brand new temple, hidden under the surface of the lightning scorched earth, never seen by anyone but Lady Yunalesca and Lord Gandolf. Reports from the Al Bhed surveyors stated that energy similar to the previously active Fayth emanated from the heart of the ancient building. It bothered Yuna, the idea of an untouched Fayth lying deep within the temple walls, still dreaming that never-ending dream. On the surface, the party was here for the many spheres that may be hidden in the cloister's labyrinth, but Yuna was here for a different reason. If there truly was an active Fayth here, she had to put it to rest. It was her duty as the High Summoner who brought about the Eternal Calm and ended Vegnagun's wrath. She took a deep breath as she approached the Cloister's entrance, offering a silent prayer to whoever's soul was still trapped below.

"You okay, Yunie?" Rikku's concerned voice brought Yuna back to her senses. Was it truly wise to keep this information secret? What if there was a fight?

"Yes. I just… There's something everyone must know before we continue." Yuna scanned the room, reading everyone's expressions. Calm, worried, trusting. These people were her friends, her guardians. There was no reason to hide anything any longer. Tidus approached her, putting a warm hand on her bare shoulder. A welcome gesture in this cold, damp place.

"Yuna?" He said, looking at her with uneasy eyes.

"There may be an active Fayth inside this temple. We aren't really here for spheres." Yuna's face took on a look of determination as she prepared herself to once again face the trial of the Fayth.

"What?! But we released the Fayth from their dream, didn't we? They're all at peace!" Rikku chimed in, her voice tinged with denial and fear. "We beat Sin! There's no reason for a Fayth to go on, right?"

"Yes," Yuna affirmed Rikku's worries. "The Fayth should be no more, so why? I must find out what's going on. I feel like… I feel like it's my duty."

"If you really feel that way, then we better hurry on. There's no use talking about it if we don't do something too, right?" Paine, the usual voice of reason, spoke up as she began climbing the stairs to the Cloister of Trials. Tidus, Rikku, and I nodded to each other and followed her into the cold, dark hall.

_~The Day We Disappeared From The World~_

In the room just beyond the heavy, stone door, three glowing spheres were set in three pedestals. Each led to three different rooms. Yuna examined her options. These trials were just that: trials. She decided to push the middle one along its set path into the middle room, where a green glyph shone on the floor at its center. Once Yuna got the pedestal situated in its place above the glyph, she looked around for any noticeable changes. At first, nothing happened, but as Yuna stepped away to return to the group in the first room, a loud rumbling echoed from the stone walls.

"Yuna? Everything okay in there? What's that sound?" Rikku called from the entrance, her footsteps just barely audible over the loud echoing.

"I think so! Just wait there, I'm coming- Ahh!" Yuna let out a shriek as a large barrier of stone fell between her and the entrance, crashing to the ground with a loud, grating noise.

"Yuna?!" Tidus, Rikku, and Paine all cried out in unison, rushing to the stone barrier.

"Yuna, are you alright?! What's going on?!" Tidus's concerned voice filled Yuna's ears as she looked around for a way out. Just before she opened her mouth to answer him, she heard another grating noise as a path opened up behind her. Briefly glancing back to examine what lied ahead, she responded to the group's worried shouts.

"I'm fine. A door just opened up back here. I think we have to push the pedestals into the other rooms before we can continue. It looks like we'll have to split up."

"Alright. Rikku and I will take the left room, Paine will take the right. Everyone okay with that?" Tidus proposed. His plan was sound, yet Yuna still felt uneasy about leaving Rikku and Tidus alone together. She remembered how they interacted on the Celsius before they arrived, and let out a disgruntled sigh.

"I'm fine with that." Paine said indifferently. Yuna heard her footsteps fading as she walked to the room on the right, leaving no room for protest.

"We'll meet up soon, okay? I'm sure the three pathways join back together at some point. Just be careful, Yunie!" Rikku's optimistic voice should have comforted Yuna, but in her jealousy, it only annoyed her. _If only she were on this side instead of me,_ she thought.

"Right. I'm going." Yuna turned around and started along the path before her, once again reminding herself why she was here and what she had to do. All traces of petty jealousy and romantic feelings pushed to the side, the Ex-Summoner readied her gun and continued on, the echo of her boots against the wet ground her only company.

_~The Day We Disappeared From The World~_

I pushed the heavy pedestal across the cold, grey floor, my mind heavy with uncertainty. I thought about the emergence of this new Fayth, and whether or not it had anything to do with my revival here in Spira. Yuna had told me that that kid Bahamut told her that they would 'do what they can' to let her see me again. Is this what he meant? If Yuna goes down there and releases this Fayth from its dream… Would I disappear too?

"Tidus, you're pushing a little too far there." Rikku pulled me from my thoughts, tapping me on my shoulder. I had overshot the glyph by a good three feet, the pedestal almost to the other side of the room.

"Oh. Sorry, I was just thinking about stuff." I said, pulling the pedestal back to the glyph on the floor.

"Stuff?"

"Just about this Fayth that's supposedly down there. It's nothing important." I gave Rikku a reassuring smile as the wall opened up behind us, releasing a good amount of dust that built up over the years.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that too. D'ya think Sin's gonna come back?" Rikku offered her theory on the Fayth, one I hadn't thought of.

"I don't know. Let's just hope we can finish this without something like that happening. Stay close to me." I said, walking through the doorway before me.

"Eww, it feels even grosser in here than it does in there! It's all sticky. How long has this place been hidden?" Rikku groaned, loosening the scarf around her neck. The scenery beyond that doorway was different than what we had expected, less like a product of architecture and more like a cave or tunnel. There were still markings and hieroglyphs on the walls, and the glow of spheres could be seen further along the tunnel, but other than that, it was completely different. As we arrived at what seemed like another door with one out of two recesses for spheres filled in, Rikku started shuffling through her bag, pulling out the glowing green stone that was on the pedestal earlier. She must have grabbed it before we came through here.

"This should do the trick." Rikku said, inserting the sphere. When she did, the door became engulfed in a green glow, bathing the surrounding area in an eerie light. It hung for a while, like an old machine starting up after prolonged disuse, then faded away, an empty pathway taking the place of the door.

Beyond, a large circular room fanned out before us, its walls painted in ancient murals. Giant fiends were shown battling a large Aeon and its summoner in what was probably the Thunder Plains. The Aeon was unlike any of the ones that aided in the battle against Sin three years ago, possessing four gigantic wings that shone bright with every color of the spectrum. Its dragon-like body towered over the three malboro, ready to rip them apart with its sharp talons.

"What is this place?" Rikku said, marveling at the art around the room. "Look at this one!"

Rikku pointed towards another mural, of which the same Aeon was the subject. Instead of fiends, however, it towered over a horde of people, prostrating themselves as if worshipping the beast. I looked around the room for clues that would tell us how to continue, and noticed a small recess in the wall where a glowing blue sphere sat. A similar sphere was placed on the opposite side of the room.

"What are we supposed to do with these things?" I said, grabbing the sphere closest to me. Rikku grabbed the other one and examined it, holding it in the air and squinting.

"I dunno. They look like regular old spheres to me. Maybe these are the special sphere for this temple."

That's right. Each temple had its own special sphere that would do certain things when you used them. There must be something we can do with these. I turned the sphere over in my hand and noticed a small notch in the crystal, as if a key or something would fit inside. Suddenly, an idea sprang to mind.

"Hey, Rikku, does yours have a part that juts out or something like that?"

"Hmm, let me see." Rikku turned her sphere over as well and smiled at her discovery. "Oh! It does! I wonder what it's for!" She scampered over to me and handed me the sphere, her fingers grazing mine as she did. They were as warm as her personality in this freezing cave, and I vaguely wanted her to touch me again. Shaking such thoughts from my head, I pressed the two spheres together and gave a small sigh of relief as they clicked into each other perfectly.

"It worked!" I cheered, holding the double-sphere in my hands. Before I could say anything else, the object of my pride suddenly started to vibrate, and a high pitched warbling sound radiated throughout the room. After a few seconds, it stopped, and another recess opened up in the wall opposite the doorway. The double-sphere in my hands fit inside perfectly, and the sound of stone grating against stone signaled that a path was opening up. Once the door opened completely, the fear and doubt I felt in the pedestal room welled up inside me again.

"No way…" Rikku gasped. "That's not possible."

_~The Day We Disappeared From The World~_

Paine calmly walked through the twists and turns of the cave before her, solving the puzzles before her with ease. The trials thus far haven't been mental, but physical. After she had left the pedestal room, a door had opened up behind her and revealed a new path. An easily found glyph sphere opened each door in her way, leading to a small room with a fiend waiting inside. After defeating it, another glyph sphere was left behind so the Trials could continue. This repeated three or four times, finally ending at a large door with an old mural painted on it. Paine admired the mural for a few seconds, hoping that the large monster painted on it wasn't what was waiting for her beyond the door. Using the glyph sphere in her hand, Paine unlocked the grand door and continued forward.

Inside the sizeable room was a large altar, adorned with old offerings of rotted fruit and rusted coins. Paine noticed another mural above the table, the same winged beast decorating it that was on the door. Among the offerings on the altar, she saw a faint red glow.

"A sphere?" Paine said, words floating around the empty space. She walked over to the spot that glowed red, then picked the sphere out from behind the many rotted fruit on the table. It was a movie sphere. It wasn't recorded, like the crimson spheres she made with Nooj and Gippal, but it was a sphere that contained someone's thoughts and memories. Paine focused her mind on the sphere, connecting her thoughts with whoever's were inside. Suddenly, a vivid image began playing in her mind.

_"Nobody came for me." A voice rang out in the dark, empty anteroom of the temple. "Sin is gone, but no one came. Have I been forgotten?"_

_ Suddenly, pyreflies gathered in the center of the room, conjoining to create the image of a translucent young woman. Her long, red hair grew past her thighs, and she wore a ceremonial robe with fake, multicolored wings sewn to her back._

_ "Nobody has come to this temple in ages. Sin has come and gone three times, yet no one has asked for my assistance since Lord Gandof. They told me that I would forever be visited by summoners who wished to defeat sin, yet no one comes… Why? Was I sacrificed for nothing?"_

_ The red-headed woman hung her head and sighed, then turned around and headed for the Cloister of Trials. The scene suddenly shifted to the Chamber of the Fayth, the woman's statue glowing beneath her. Paine noticed that the room was in ruins. This must have been a more recent memory. The woman was crying into her hands._

_ "The others have woken from their dream, but I'm still here. Why? Was I truly forgotten? Will no one ever come for me? I'm tired too…" _

With that, the image slowly faded from Paine's mind. _What a poor girl,_ she thought, gazing into the swirling red light of the sphere in her hand. Paine felt the glowing red ball grow warm through her gloved hands, then watched as it suddenly burst into a swarm of pyreflies. The dancing lights hung in the air for a moment, then rushed into a barely visible gap in the wall behind the altar. With a loud scraping sound, the wall before Paine split in two, revealing a small walkway. Leaving a prayer for the lonely Fayth, she wandered into the dark, muggy passageway.

* * *

><p>Okay so it's been like two years, I know, but I decided to actually continue this fic! This chapter is just some setup for the plot so there's not really any Tikku yet but bear with me! As always, please review and fav. Thanks for reading!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Yuna quietly walked along the grey stone path in front of her, shivering from the cold. Her hair stuck out in weird places and curled from the dense humidity, and she could barely see four feet in front of her. Whoever built this place obviously hadn't heard of fire. Wait, she could use fire! Yuna quickly took out her garment grid and sphere changed into her Black Mage dressphere. The purple robes already worked to warm her up, and she focused her mind on casting the spell. Yuna felt the familiar warm flow of energy course through her veins and directed it into her staff so she could use it as a makeshift torch. In a few seconds, the ornate top of her staff lit up, throwing light in all directions through the blackened cave. Feeling a bit better about her odds of surviving this mission, Yuna continued on. There were no fiends around, thankfully, but there was a heavy atmosphere about the area, as if some oppressive force was watching her every move. It was eerie, and Yuna couldn't help but worry about the others that were on their own. Well, except for Rikku and Tidus, who were probably off canoodling in some hole somewhere. Yuna shook her head, chastising herself for letting such thoughts intrude her mind when she was on an important mission. She was a trained summoner, able to withstand great amounts of mental stress, and yet she still couldn't focus on finding the Fayth that may lie in wait for her.

Yuna thought more about this Fayth who dreamt below her. Who was it? Why had the world forgotten about it for so many years? What had happened to this temple? The questions flowed through Yuna's mind like a river, and only stopped when she noticed a sphere on the ground in front of her. When she picked it up, the swirling blue energy inside seemed to gather toward the left of it, pointing to another path in the cave. Was this sphere some sort of compass-like device? Yuna decided to follow it, and turned left along the followed it for some time, and the sphere's energy shifted right. There, another path laid before her, adorned with old drawings and words. She viewed them as she walked past, noticing the great wyvern-like beast that was so prominent among them. Was it an Aeon? It looked so powerful. Yuna wondered if her journey three years ago would have been easier if she had such a great beast at her side, then felt a twinge of guilt in her chest as she remembered striking down her Aeon allies inside Sin. Perhaps it was better that she didn't have to fight this one back then. Among the old murals were bits of ancient text. Yuna could barely make out words such as 'sacrifice' and 'become the Fayth'.

The sphere in her hand told her to turn right once more, this time into an even stranger room. It was filled with beautiful pyreflies, all of which sheemed to gravitate toward the large slab in the room's center. Yuna could feel the oppressive atmosphere thicken as she approached, and she steeled herself for what may come. Suddenly, the pyreflies began to converge into a single being before her, one that she immediately recognized.

"… Father?" Yuna let out the word carefully, unable to mask the fear and confusion that mingled within her mind. Braska stared at the stone slab for a moment, as if he couldn't even hear his daughter right next to him. He turned around and smiled at Yuna, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, dear. You don't have to be afraid. This is your duty." Braska spoke in a calm and gentle voice, reminiscent of the one he used when Yuna was young. Her duty? Did he know why Yuna had come here?

"Yes. I'm not afraid, father. It's so good to see you." Yuna analyzed her father's face, worried that his spirit was an omen of something terrible.

Braska embraced his daughter, stroking her hair as if comforting her. His touch was warm and alive. It was hard to believe he was only a spirit. Yuna leaned in to her Father's chest, feeling as if time had reversed and she was six years old again.

"I know, I know." His voice was calm and kind. "I know it's scary, but the village must have a sacrifice. Don't you want to become one with the great Aeon? You can help defeat Sin. You can save us all."

"What?!" Yuna pushed her father away, shocked at his change of tone. "You… You are not my father!"

The Braska shaped man stood motionlessly, his head hung so that Yuna couldn't see his face. Suddenly, pyreflies flowed from his body, changing his form into another man. Another group of pyreflies converged into a young woman with lengthy red hair who stood before him. Yuna felt a touch of loneliness as she understood what had happened. The pyreflies react to peoples' memories. They must have mixed the thoughts of that girl with her own, projecting Braska. He had appeared because Yuna wanted him to. The young girl then spoke, her voice soft and shaky.

"But daddy, people shouldn't have to die so that the rest of the world can be happy, right? It isn't fair." She wiped a tear from her eye with the sleeve of her multi-colored robe.

"You won't die, dear. You'll be reborn as the new Fayth for Yurlungur. You will live on as a God." The father tried to comfort his daughter as a group of people flowed in from the room's entrance. Two priests brought in some torches and placed them on either side of the stone slab. "It is time. I love you, darling."

"Is she ready?" A priest asked, standing between the two.

"Yes." The father stepped back and joined the onlookers. The young woman hung her head as the priest laid her down on the slab. Two more priests joined him and held the girl's arms down. Yuna watched as they pulled out an ornate knife and began sketching symbols onto her skin. The girl moaned in pain, tears rushing down her face as the knife sliced her skin, blood running down the stone beneath her and dripping into some sort of hollow at the slab's base. Suddenly, the markings on the girl's body let out a glow of light, and she stopped moving. The priests and onlookers cheered as if someone had just made a goal in blitzball, clearly enjoying the bloodletting taking place before them. It was sick, Yuna thought. She looked on as the priests loaded the girl's body into a wooden coffin and carried it through an enourmous stone doorway, donning a colorful painting of that Aeon from before. It must have been the Chamber of the Fayth. As the stone doors closed, the memory ended. Yuna wiped the tears from her eyes and made her way toward the demon's mouth.

* * *

><p>Yes, this chapter is all Yuna, but I figured I couldn't just write up some crappy trial for her solve and get her out of the way. I don't think you guys would like that. I know this is supposed to be a TidusRikku fic, but Yuna and Paine are just as important as those two are. For now, anyway. As always, please review/fav/follow and enjoy! Stay tuned for next chapter! (I promise I wont wait three years this time)


	5. Chapter 5

Paine walked through the short passageway into a spacious room. It looked like something that would be used for ceremonies or prayer, and in its center sat a body-sized stone slab. As she examined the intricate designs at its base, Paine noticed Yuna standing a short ways behind it, her hand on the beautifully painted double doors. As she began to push one door open, Paine called out to her.

"Yuna!" The sound of her voice caused Yuna to twirl around in surprise. When she saw Paine's face, her body seemed to relax a bit, as if she were holding her breath.

"Paine, you're all right. I was worried. Have you found Tidus and Rikku yet?" Yuna's voice seemed weak, slightly trembling like one did when they just finished crying. Was she hurt? Paine rushed to Yuna's side and placed both hands on her shoulders in a way to try to comfort her.

"I haven't seen them yet. Is everything alright?"

"I just saw a memory from the past. It was awful. That poor girl…" Yuna wiped her eye as another tear threatened to spill over.

"Girl? Was it the Fayth?" Paine remembered the red haired girl from the sphere.

"I think so. She was sacrificed in some sort of ritual. I knew the Fayth were people once, but they _chose_ to give up their lives for their summoners. We have to put that poor girl's spirit to rest." Yuna looked back at the door behind her, placing a hand on the mural that covered the entirety of the stone. Yurlungur was painted there, its wings relaxed and folded in. He looked almost regal, as if he were a powerful king overlooking his subjects. "The Chamber of Fayth is through here. She's waiting."

"Wait," Paine said as Yuna began to put pressure on the door. "We should wait for the others. Better safe than sorry."

"You're right." Yuna took her hand off the door, then turned around and leaned against it. "I just hope they're okay."

_~The Day We Disappeared From the World~_

I couldn't process the image that stood before Rikku and me. I just stared, mouth open like an idiot at the impossible. Rikku stood there like a mirror to my expressions, fighting over what to say in her head. What stood before us, or rather, _who_ stood before us, was Auron, brow furrowed and mouth tight, the same look he had after waking from a bad night's rest. Clad in the same red cloak, he looked back at us, as calm and collected as ever. The man who was supposed to be dead twice over was the first to speak, breaking the deafening silence with his deep, gruff voice.

"Good to see you." He said.

"Auron! What are you doing here?!" I spoke the same words I had three years ago in Zanarkand, as confused and frantic as I had been in those frightful moments watching Sin destroy my home. Auron looked up at one of the murals on the wall, the only source of color in this freezing stone prison.

"The dream continues." His voice was tired and dry, as if he was annoyed that he was here. He looked back at Rikku and me and gave us one of his famous smirks. "It is good to see you."

Rikku, finally regaining her composure, walked up to Auron and began poking his arm. After noticing that the man before her was indeed really there, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"You're really back! I really missed you, you know!" She buried her head in Auron's chest, feeling the warmth of their reunion through his clothes, once again confirming his status as a living being.

"Had enough?" Auron said, obviously annoyed with the blond girl's overzealous welcome. Rikku stepped back, nodding. After a second, she restated the question I had asked a minute before.

"What _are_ you doing here? You were sent, right? So why did you come back?"

"I am not sure." Auron once again scanned the murals, silently gathering information he found too tedious to ask. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Yuna says there's another Fayth here. One that's still dreaming. She wants to put it to rest." I explained, deciding that Rikku had given more than enough welcoming for the both of us. Auron furrowed his brow again, then looked to the door on the right. He seemed to sense something we couldn't, a perk from the years of training as a monk in Bevelle. "What is it?"

"Voices. Yuna is beyond that door. We should go to her." It was less a suggestion than a command, and Auron turned around and started walking to the door. His red coat ruffled as one foot moved in front of the other, and I took it as a sign to follow after him. Rikku followed, and the three of us opened the door.

I ran to Yuna, making sure she was okay. Rikku did the same, and we all expressed our relief at each other's safety.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" Yuna said, pulling me into a tight hug. It reminded me of the time at Lake Macalania when we kissed, the moon and the stars watching over us as we danced through the water. I returned her embrace and stayed like that for a moment. Hugs like these were few and far between nowadays, what with the Gullwings and all.

"Glad to see you haven't changed." Auron said sarcastically, taking in Yuna's new attire.

"Auron? But... how?" Yuna's eyes grew wide, mimicking the face Rikku had made when we first saw the man in red. "You're not another illusion are you?"

"No. I am unsure of the reasons, but I awoke here recently."

"I see. How have you been?" Auron smirked at Yuna's question, letting out a rare chuckle.

"I haven't," he said. "The last thing I remember is being on the Airship when you performed the final sending."

"Sorry to interrupt, but isn't there something we need to do?" Paine's cold voice brought us back to the situation at hand, reminding us of the gravity this mission held. Yuna nodded, then turned around to face the ornate door behind her.

"Before we continue, we should exchange information." Auron nodded to me as a sign to relay what I knew, which wasn't all that much.

"Uh.. Well, We saw a bunch of pictures on the walls. Most of them had that big bird guy in them. Some of them were weird, though, like he was worshipped as a god or something. It looked like a really powerful Aeon."

"That's all we found, really." Rikku shrugged and looked at Paine, passing the proverbial baton.

"I found this sphere," she said, pulling out a red orb from her pocket. The group gathered round and watched its contents, attuning their minds to the energy inside.

_"Nobody came for me." A voice rang out in the dark, empty anteroom of the temple. "Sin is gone, but no one came. Have I been forgotten?"_

Yuna cast her eyes downward, looking guilty for not being able to come for the red headed girl on the sphere.

_ "Nobody has come to this temple in ages. Sin has come and gone three times, yet no one has asked for my assistance since Lord Gandof came so many years ago. They told me that I would forever be visited by summoners who wished to defeat sin, yet no one comes… Why? Was I sacrificed for nothing?"_

"Sacrificed?" Rikku said the word in awe, not believing what she heard. "That's terrible…"

_ "The others have woken from their dream, but I'm still here. Why? Was I truly forgotten? Will no one ever come for me? I'm tired too…" _

After a moment, the image faded and everyone discussed what they saw. Yuna looked at the stone slab in the center of the room, her gaze lingering for a moment as she thought over what she learned.

"I saw it. The sacrifice. That girl was the Fayth. Her own father had her killed for the sake of some ritual. He said she would become one with the Great Aeon Yurlungur. The people cheered when they carved those symbols into her, when her blood spilled over that stone bed." Yuna closed her eyes and balled her hands into fists. "It was awful."

"Yunie…" Rikku placed a comforting hand on Yuna's shoulder, then looked to the door that loomed over them. I walked up to it and placed a hand on it, followed by the others. With our combined strength, opening the heavy stone door was easy. What we were about to face on the inside… was far from it.

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><p>Auron appears! I hope you are all finding this plot to be interesting. Tikku incoming next chapter! Stay tuned! I'm thinking about scheduling my updates instead of just posting them randomly so that I can stay focused and have a deadline of sorts. Maybe then there won't be a three year gap between chapters. As always, please reviewfollow/fav and thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

The atmosphere inside the Chamber of Fayth was almost palpable, squeezing our heads and our lungs as if we were diving deep under water. I saw the faint orange glow of the Fayth in ront of us, confirming that it was indeed active. Yuna stepped forward and called out.

"Hello? Are you there?" She shouted, her voice bouncing off of the walls and echoing throughout the small chamber. For a moment nothing happened and the sticky air stood still, keeping its grip around our lungs tight. Yuna called out once more, this time saying the Aeon's name. "Yurlungur! Are you here?"

At the sound of that name, the Fayth appeared, staring us down as if we were scum. She walked forward from her place above the statue below her, her translucent body gliding through the air in an eerie gait.

"That is not my name." The girl scowled at Yuna as she bowed her head. What was this girl's issue? "Yurlungur is that monster who stole my soul and trapped me in this hellhole. Why have you come here? Sin is gone."

"We have come to release you from your dream. I apologize for not doing so three years ago when I defeated Sin."

The girl's eyes softened for a moment, becoming the eyes of a frightened little girl who had found her way out of a nightmare. It only lasted for a few seconds however, and she returned to that sour look of disdain. "You cannot," She said. Yuna looked up at her, confused.

"All I have to do is send you. You can rest now." Yuna took out her staff and began walking towards the young girl, ready to begin the beautiful dance that followed Death and sent the souls of his victims to the Farplane. I felt my chest tighten, worried that I may disappear again, once more leaving Yuna and everyone else behind. I didn't want to die again. The Fayth held out a hand in a gesture for Yuna to stop.

"It is not that simple. You cannot send someone who is alive."

"Alive?" Yuna loosened the grip on her staff.

"Yes. That monster is keeping our souls, feeding off of our energy. This is the reason a new Fayth must be sacrificed every hundred years. The people of my village were misguided. Yurlungur is not a true Aeon. It is a fiend. To release me, you must destroy it."

"We will do what it takes to help you. I saw what they did to you; I felt what you felt." Yuna stepped forward, desperate to save this young woman's soul. It was this determination that led us to defeat Sin and for her to defeat Vegnagun. When Yuna said she'd do something, she meant it.

"It is not so easy. Yurlungur is very powerful, more so than even Sin was. He has been gathering power in all these years. The people of my village used us as a way to chain Yurlungur to a person's whims. Now that nobody is controlling it, it could return here and wreak havoc on Spira. It did so once, shortly after my death. The ritual failed because I had not been a willing sacrifice. My spirit was not strong enough to hold it to the otherworld. Yurlungur destroyed my people's village and massacred them … _I_ massacred them…" A dark expression flashed on the Fayth's face for a moment. "We are one. Killing him means to kill me."

"Would it ease your suffering?" Auron's voice echoed from the back of the room.

"Yes." The girl looked at him and gave a clear answer. She obviously must have thought about this during her time trapped in this temple.

"Then we do it." Auron readied his sword, prepared for Yurlungur to appear at any moment.

"You cannot. It does not exist in this world. I am but a vessel he passes through."

"Is it possible to use you to get there?" Paine voiced a theory, walking forward to face the Fayth herself.

"Perhaps. I could only send a few of you through." The Fayth looked at Auron and I, then put her hand to her chin as if noticing something. "You two are the product of a dream. Is it truly wise to continue?"

Yuna snapped her head up and looked back at me, her face filled with confusion and fear. "What will happen to them?" Her voice was quiet and tense.

"The dream could end. They might disappear. Do you still want to go through with this?"

"I… I don't want him to go away. Not again.." Yuna began to cry, tears filling her eyes at the thought of my death. I had to say I felt the same. I didn't want to die. But if my death meant that Spira could be saved, I was willing to go through with it. I felt the irony as our roles from three years ago had reversed. This must have been what Yuna had felt through our journey, knowing that she would die when she faced Sin. I felt a sort of calm, though, like I would be okay. After all, Yuna was standing right here. She hadn't died.

"It's okay. It won't come to that. We'll find another way, just like we did for you!" I stepped forward, stopping just before the Fayth, looking her straight in the eye.

"But-" Yuna moved to grab my arm, but I caught her instead.

"I want you to stay here. You've had enough of saving the world, haven't you?" I placed a hand on her shoulder and gazed into her bi-colored eyes. "I'm your guardian. I have to keep you safe, right?"

Yuna just stood there, tears falling from her eyes, not wanting to accept the fact that I could disappear. She sniffled, then placed a hand on my chest. She stayed like that for a moment, gathering her thoughts on what to say.

"It's not fair," She whispered. "You always leave me alone."

I felt a little guilty, I admit, but if it kept her safe, I was willing to die. I planted a kiss on her forehead, then stepped away from her. I turned to the Fayth and steeled my will. "Alright. Take me."

"You will go alone?" The Fayth scanned the party behind me, a look of wonder on her face.

"No, he wont." Rikku said, running up beside me. I smiled as she grabbed onto my arm and cheerfully exclaimed her status as another of Yuna's guardians. I could always count on Rikku to cheer up the atmosphere, and I gave her a nod of gratitude. Auron silently walked to my side and nodded to the Fayth, telling her it was okay to send us through. She waved her arm and pointed to the right, sending a blast of energy that ripped through space, opening a portal that would take us to the other side.

"Get her out of here. Braska would have my head if he knew I let his daughter get hurt." Auron said, turning to Paine. She nodded and took Yuna's arm ignoring her protests and walking out of the Chamber of Fayth with her. She called out to me as the doors closed, her cheeks stained with tears.

"Tidus!" She yelled. "Don't go!"

"I have to," I said. I gave her a cheery grin and a thumbs up. I was scared as hell inside, but I couldn't let Yuna know that. I had to believe everything would be okay so that she would believe it. "Wait for me! I'll be back before you know it!"

With that, the doors slammed shut. I couldn't hear Yuna anymore, and I took a deep breath to ready myself. Rikku tightened her grip on my arm, a scared look on her face, and Auron just gave a steely gaze at the portal.

"When you're ready." Said the Fayth, holding her trembling arm out toward the portal. She must have been using all of her energy to keep it open. "And, Tidus, everyone… Thank you."

"No problem! Ready, everyone?"

"You betcha!" Rikku's cheery façade was obvious, but I had to give her credit for being able to smile through this. We had no idea where we would end up, or what kind of place the other side was, but that didn't stop each of us from jumping through the rip in spacetime and finding out. Once we jumped through, the portal closed. There was no going back now. This was where we would disappear from the world and leap into uncertainty.

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><p>Well, now that we've finally got Yuna out of the way, I can finally start to develop some TidusRikku love. Stay tuned! As always, review/fav/follow and thank you for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Everything was a flash of white as we fell through the portal, the pressure even greater than it was in the Chamber of the Fayth, and it threatened to crush our bodies and steal our breath. Suddenly, a flash of blue burst out around us and we were plummeting toward the ground from who knows how high in the air. Rikku held onto me for dear life, and Auron braced himself, arms crossed over his head. It happened in an instant, a painful splash of cold water and the dull thud of hitting the sand below the only thing I felt before falling unconscious.

I awoke with a throb in my head, face down in a pile of warm, white sand. I looked at my surroundings, trying to figure out where I was. It looked like Besaid Beach, but there were no docks, or people playing blitzball. Just white sand and crystal blue water. I felt something warm and soft in my palm, and I looked to see what I was holding. It was a hand, thin and white, wrapped around my own, fingers intertwined. Its owner lie next to me on her side, still unconscious. I let my gaze linger a bit, noticing drops of water that slid down her wet skin and dripped into her cleavage. Rikku's bikini top had become frayed and barely held together, just shielding what I sinfully wanted to see. I thought about what she would do if she caught me staring. Would she blush and act all embarrassed, or just get mad and smack me a good one? I giggled as I pictured it, and the sound caused the sleeping girl next to me to stir. Noticing I still held her hand, I blushed and let go, scratching my nose in embarrassment.

"Ugh, where are we?" She mumbled, holding her head in her hands. "What happened?"

"I don't know. It looks like Besaid." I looked around again, suddenly remembering that Auron had come with us through the portal. He was nowhere to be found, and I cursed myself for not grabbing onto his coat or his arm before we leapt. I looked back to Rikku, who was fixing the sleeves on her arms and covering up a rather revealing tear in her olive green skirt by wrapping her scarf around her waist. She sighed, noticing her ruined top, and looked off toward the horizon.

"So this is a whole other world… I wonder if it's anything like Spira." She said, squinting her eyes in the orange glow of the sunset.

"I don't know, but we should find a town before it gets dark." I noted, finding a footpath through some trees. It looked like there were definitely people nearby, and that this beach was accessible to them. I wondered for a moment why nobody was here. Usually during this time of day, couples would be cuddling by the ocean, watching the sun go down together. I watched Rikku as she did just that, her skin dyed a beautiful orange. I often found myself doing this whenever it was just me and her, admiring her soft skin or spiral green eyes. I had Yuna, of course, but there was no harm in looking, right? Rikku, having had her fill of the sunset, turned around and nodded to me.

"You're right. I need some new clothes too. I hope there's an armor shop nearby." She walked on ahead of me, through the small path in the trees. I followed and looked around to see if Auron had fallen somewhere. Rikku didn't say anything, but she must have been worried about him too. Wherever he was though, I'm sure he could handle himself. The path opened up in a larger beach area, littered with umbrellas and towels. It reminded me of the resort beach at Zanarkand, where everyone used to go after a big Blitzball victory. I scanned the area and found a stone path leading inland. I gestured for Rikku to follow me and started the journey to the next town.

Though the path was paved, fiends still popped up every few to hinder our progress. I guess that explained why no one was at the beach. A particularly troublesome foe emerged just as a village started to loom on the horizon. The Rukh came from above, ambushing Rikku and I just as we were recovering from another battle with two Coyotes. It screeched at us, saliva oozing from its mouth and splashing on the ground.

"Gimme a break!" I yelled, taking a slash at the winged beast with my sword. Rikku switched to her Gunner dressphere and went Trigger Happy on it, distracting it long enough for me to charge up a Spiral Cut attack. I ran up to the beast just as Rikku had stopped to reload and leaped into the air, spinning once and coming down on the foe with all the force of gravity, piercing its skull with my sword. The Garuda cried out, bursting into a swarm of pyreflies and faded from existence. I struggled for breath, leaning over with my hands on my knees. Overdrives really took a lot out of you, and I was already tired from the last battle.

"You alright?" Rikku said, switching back to her normal clothes. "Here, use this." She tossed me a potion, which I gladly drank up. Feeling the energy return to my body, I stood back up, caught my breath, and put away my sword.

"Yeah, thanks. Look, there's a village over there. Maybe we can get a room at the inn."

"Finally. Ugh, why're are there so many fiends this close to people? It's really annoying, y'know?"

Rikku stretched her shoulder as we came up on the village enterance. The sun had just set, and the stars were starting to fill up the night sky one by one. I looked around for someone I could ask about an inn, and found a boy petting a dog near a hut by the village entrance.

"Hey, kid! Is there an inn nearby? My friend and I have just come from real far away and we don't have anywhere to sleep." I jogged over to the boy, who looked up at me with a cautious glance. He shuffled closer to his dog and answered quietly.

"Um, there's one in that bigger house over there." He pointed to a conspicuously large hut near what looked like a temple not too far off from where we stood. I nodded to the boy in thanks and left him, continuing down the stone pathway to the inn. Perhaps Auron had already found his way to this village and was waiting for us there.

We walked through the cloth entrance of the inn, exhausted from our trek from the beach. I walked up to the counter and asked the young lady there if she had any vacancies.

"Let me check, sir." She grabbed a guestbook from under the counter and began flipping through the pages.

"Oh, and did a man named Auron come by here? He's wearing a red coat and carries a really big sword. You can't miss him."

"I'm sorry, sir. No one like that has come by."

I sighed as she told me the bad news. Where could he be? We came through the portal at the same time, and I remember him being right next to me when I was falling. Did Rikku and I maybe drift off in a different direction than he did? I decided to think about it tomorrow and asked the lady one more time for any vacancies.

"So are there any rooms left?" I asked. The lady smiled and pointed at a blank spot in her guestbook.

"Yes. Room 14. How long will you and your girlfriend be staying?" She smiled at Rikku, who turned as red as a beet at the receptionist's assumption. I blushed too, and cleared my throat.

"Oh, uh, she's not- I mean… Two nights." I rubbed the back of my neck as I dismissed the notion of being Rikku's boyfriend. For some reason, I didn't really deny it, and I felt a warm sensation in my chest at the thought.

"Okay. That'll be 800 gil please." The lady said. I took out my coin purse and gave her the eight 100-gil coins, then received the key from her and walked up the stairs to Room 14 with Rikku.

Inside the spacious room were plenty of nice seaside themed decorations, a round wooden breakfast table, and one bed. One bed. I felt my face flush a bit, and turned to Rikku, who was looking away in an attempt to not look embarrassed. She looked at the bed, then to me, then back to the bed, and blushed even more, which in turn caused me to do the same. No doubt she was thinking about having to share a bed with me, our warm bodies lying right next to each other, sharing the same comforter. Her soft skin might graze my arm or some other part of my body… Who knows, we could get really cold in the night and- _Wait, wait, wait. _I shook my head to clear my thoughts and broke the awkward silence.

"Maybe we should go ask for another room." I said, rubbing the back of my neck like I always did when I was embarrassed.

"Y-yeah. I mean, right. We just weren't clear with what we wanted." More like _I_ wasn't clear. If only I had just told the receptionist that Rikku wasn't my girlfriend we wouldn't be in this mess. I sighed and turned around so I could change the reservation.

"Excuse me, ma'am…" I said as I once again approached the counter.

"Yes? Is the room not to your liking?"

"Well, there's only one bed. Could we change the reservation?"

"You don't want to sleep with your girlfriend? You're a strange fellow." She again took out her guestbook and skimmed through the pages, looking for another opening.

"Oh, she's not really my girlfriend. We're just uh, traveling together." I chose my words carefully. No doubt this woman would think I was crazy if I told her I was from a different world. I already had my fill of that three years ago.

"Oh, so you're one of _those_ kinds of guys. Well, no biggie. I don't judge."

"Huh? No, I-"

"Ah, here we go. Room 3. Two beds. We'll also throw in free room service for the inconvenience. There will, however, be a slight up-charge on the room since you're not staying in one bed.

"But wait, I'm not-"

"Here is your key. Have a good night!" The receptionist smiled and handed me the key. She sure liked to interrupt people. Well, whatever. I gave her the extra 300 gil and returned upstairs where Rikku was waiting. I told her our new room number, and could almost see the relief in her voice when I told her there were two beds. She hurried on ahead of me, walking at a strangely quick pace, and I followed behind her, slightly disappointed that I wouldn't get to spend the night with her.

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><p>And we finally get to see some Tikku fluff. Where could Auron be? And what will happen with the Fayth girl and Yurlungur? Stay tuned! As always, reviewfav/follow and thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Auron sighed, waking up on a rocky shore with no sign of Tidus or Rikku anywhere. He looked around and tried to get his bearings. The last time he went through a portal, it was to the Spira of the past, where he worked as hard as he could to fulfill his promise to Jecht and look after his son. This place, however, was entirely foreign, a whole other world.

"Oh, you're awake!" Said a voice behind him. It was soft and high and carried a cute feminine charm to it. Auron turned around to see a short girl who looked to be in her early twenties carrying what looked like a flask of some sort and a rag. "Do you feel alright? Nothing hurts?"

"I'm fine." He replied, staring out over the blue ocean. Truthfully, Auron felt a bit sore and had quite a headache. "A blond boy and an Al Bhed girl," He said.

"Huh? Al Bhed?" The girl put a finger to her petite chin and tilted her head, visibly confused.

"Have you seen them?"

"I don't know about this Al Bhed thing, but I haven't seen any blond boys around here." The girl stepped closer to Auron, holding out the flask. "Drink some of this. It'll help."

Auron accepted her offer and took a swig of the drink. It was sweet and cold, a bit fizzy, and like the girl said, it immediately started to replenish his energy. After one more drag, he handed the flask back to the girl and looked her over. She had medium length pinkish hair that fell over her shoulders, curling towards her face at the ends. Her bangs were swept to the side, cascading over neatly groomed eyebrows that sat atop a pair of mossy green eyes. Her face was round but not fat, and her well-proportioned nose sat well in the center of her face. She was pretty, more cute than beautiful, and had a soft sort of aura around her. She reminded Auron of Yuna three years ago, and smiled a bit when he remembered how much the ex-summoner had changed.

"What's so funny?" The girl asked, crossing her arms and relaxing her posture a bit. Auron shook his head and turned back toward the ocean, deciding that this girl may be able to help him out in this foreign new world. The girl walked forward and stood beside him, staring out at the ocean as well and watched the fading sunlight sparkle over the water, dying the sea foam a creamy orange.

"Name?" Auron said, his eyes still locked toward the horizon. The girl looked at him, confused by the word that suddenly and unexpectedly came out of his mouth.

"Huh?"

"Your name. What is it?"

"Oh, right. Sofya. Can I ask yours?"

"Auron." He said, turning around. He walked to the road a couple feet from the shore. The road and Sofya were both signs of civilization, so Auron figured he couldn't be that far from a town or village of some sort. Sofya just stood at the shore, watching Auron's back shrink. "Are you coming?" He asked, stopping and looking back.

"Um, yes!" The pink haired girl jogged to catch up with Auron, and they started their walk to town. "My home is this way. If you're lost, I can tell you how to get back home. Where are you from?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm too far from home to go back now. I have something to do here."

"I see. What about that boy and the… what was it? Al Bhed? Are you going to look for them?" Sofya looked up at Auron, who wore a neutral, almost cold expression.

"Yes. I made a promise to a friend." Auron briefly wondered whether that promise still held after everything that happened, and decided that it wouldn't have mattered either way. He was annoying sometimes, but the blond blitzer did mean something to Auron. He didn't want to see Rikku getting hurt either. Sofya spoke up again, her soft, warm voice cutting through the misty seaside air. A light drizzle had started to fall along with the temperature, and Auron could see that the young woman was cold.

"Promises are important." She said, hugging herself as a way to shield herself from the cold. "What about the Al Bhed? Is it part of the promise?"

Auron gave a small snort of laughter at Rikku being called an 'it'. "No, _she_ isn't."

Sofya blushed, realizing her mistake, and laughed to cover her embarrassment, giving a short 'I see'. The conversation came to a dull silence as the two's feet crunched over the brown, gravelly road. Unable to bear Sofya's frequent shivers and sniffles as the cold air moved in with the moon, Auron took off his red haori and gave it to her. Sofya took it hesitantly, pondering whether or not it was okay to take the coat from me. After a second, she decided to slip it on. While it was clearly too big for the petite girl and looked more like an oversized robe, the haori suited her. Auron even thought she looked like a summoner it.

"Thank you." Sofya said. Auron nodded and continued on, finally noticing some buildings and a few people come into view. "Well, we're here. Welcome to Rumald. It's a small town, but the people are nice and friendly. I'm sure we can find more information about your friends if we ask around. Maybe they came through here."

Auron sighed. He didn't like people, and now he'd have to talk to slews of random townsfolk. What a bother. Auron looked around, not knowing the first thing about this place or who to ask. Sofya seemed to notice this, and smiled up at him.

"I'll come with you. We should go to the Inn first. Maybe they got a room there." Sofya started walking, and Auron decided to follow her. It looks like he'd have to stick with this girl if he wanted any hope of navigating this world.

"Suit yourself," He said.

"You know how the inns are run by that big family, the Imalas?" Sofya asked, turning her head. Auron decided to pretend to know what she was talking about, figuring that telling the girl about Spira would be pointless and bothersome.

"Sure." He said.

"Well, they made this awesome new technology that lets you communicate with anyone with another of the same device from anywhere in the world! Isn't that amazing?"

"A telephone?" Auron had remembered the cell phones the people of Zanarkand always played around on. He had decided once to get one, but found it too complicated and just gave it to Tidus as a gift for his tenth birthday.

"You've heard of it? They're only in the inns now, but pretty soon they'll start distributing them to people everywhere. I bet they'll be expensive." Sofya expressed her interest as she stopped before a large wooden building. The sign above the entranceway read _'Imala Inn & Pub- Rumald'_. Auron walked inside, suddenly assaulted by the smell of cheap bar food and liquor. A man, about thirty years old, welcomed him and Sofya in.

"Well, good evening folks. What can I do for y'all?" He asked, his voice twangy and deep.

"Hi, Dalin. This guy's looking for his friends. They might have gotten a room here. Their names are… uh…" Sofya looked up at Auron. He remembered that he never told her their names or gave a good description of them, and spoke over the loud music that had started up from the live band near the back of the room. Auron hated places like these, and usually avoided the ones back in Zanarkand.

"Tidus and Rikku. They're both blond, the boy has spiky hair and you can remember the girl from the spirals in her eyes."

"Well, I think I woulda remembered folks like that if they came in here, buddy. Sorry." Dalin shrugged and Auron sighed, disappointed that those two idiots hadn't been here. Auron knew he should have held on to the boy when they jumped through. "Wait, did you say swirly eyes? Why my daughter said she got a girl just like that in the inn down in Faldrin. Said she was with her boyfriend or somethin'."

"Faldrin? That's not that far from here! See, Auron, I told you we'd find them." Sofya flashed a big smile and bowed to Dalin, thanking him.

"How do I get there?" Auron asked. He wanted to be sure of how far the journey was so he could start preparations. Dalin took out what looked like a world map from the brown satchel that hung from his shoulder.

"Well, we're here. Faldrin's straight across, on the other side of the island here." Dalin moved his finger from one side of a small island on the map, which was Rumald, to the other side, Faldrin. It seemed easy enough. "Should take you about a day or two to get there by foot. I'd lend you a Chocobo, but I haven't got any in the stables right now."

"It's fine. Thank you." Auron said. He nodded to Dalin and left the Inn, glad to hear the annoying band fade out as he walked away from the pub. Auron did need a place to stay for the nigh, but anywhere was better than that god awful drunk's nest. He heard small footsteps clicking behind him, and Auron turned around to see Sofya running to catch up.

"Wai… Wait up!" She called. Finally catching up, she paused to catch her breath before speaking again, Auron's haori drooping over her left shoulder. "Leaving like that is bad manners, you know."

"You'll learn to follow the leader eventually," Auron joked. He started walking again, Sofya by his side this time. After a few turns, He found an items shop and bought a few potions and ethers, standard stuff for a day's journey. Sofya luckily knew the woman who ran the shop and got a good discount on it, and bought a few accessories of her own that they had on display. After they finished shopping, Sofya took Auron to her home, a small wooden cottage that stood out from the other, more modern homes he had seen around the town.

"You live alone?" Auron asked as they walked through the front door. Sofya frowned for an instant, her face briefly clouding over before returning to the cheerful expression she'd had this whole time.

"I used to live with my friend Talya before she…" Her voice trailed off. "Anyway, yes. I live alone."

Her face seemed to cloud over again, as if a dark memory had been recalled after a long time. Auron felt a bit guilty for asking his question and sighed, looking around the small house. Sofya took off the red haori and handed it back to Auron, and then gave a quiet thank you as she walked to the set of stairs nearby.

"You can sleep on the couch in the living area. I hope you don't mind, but I'm a bit tired, so I'm gonna go to bed a bit early." She said, that uncharacteristic look of depression still on her face.

Auron nodded and watched her walk up the stairs, then made his way to the cheap looking couch and laid down. Though it was a bit lumpy and uncomfortable, Auron was used to sleeping in worse places, and he fell asleep rather quickly, deciding to think about finding Tidus and Rikku and killing Yurlungur tomorrow.

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><p>I'm not sure if I did Auron's character well or not, but I tried to write him as best I could. I'm probably not gonna pair Auron up with Sofya or anything (Unless you guys want me to?) , just have kind of a protectorprotectee kind of father/daughter relationship. This is still a Tikku fic, so the romance is gonna focus on them. As always, please review/fav/follow and thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

My eyes felt heavy, and opening them as I woke up seemed like a chore. The sun was just barely climbing the sky, and the light that flittered in from the windows bathed the room in a pale light. Rikku shuffled in her bed and turned over, still asleep. Her hair was out of its usual long ponytail and was sticking up in funny angles all over the place, even falling into her mouth, but even still, I thought she held a sort of natural beauty lying there asleep. The sunlight gave her face a sort of glow and I thought to myself that I wanted to touch it, just to feel the softness of her supple skin under my hand. A pang of guilt hit me as I thought of Yuna, who waited for me on the other side, probably crying her eyes out in worry. How would she react if she knew I had these thoughts about Rikku, her best friend and cousin for Yevon's sake. I loved Yuna- at least I thought I did- but these feelings for Rikku I felt welling up in my chest were undeniable. She was the first one I saw when I came to Spira, the one who had my back our entire journey, the one who stepped up to join me on this one. I felt happy when I was with her, and whenever we were alone together I got this little feeling of nervousness that fluttered in my stomach every time she smiled or touched me or laughed at my jokes. With Yuna, I just felt like I was with her because I had to be—because she loved me and I felt responsible for protecting her. Don't get me wrong, Yuna was cute, and I did enjoy our time together, but Rikku… She was just so much more to me. I heard Rikku stir in her bed, and the guilt just multiplied when she opened her beautiful emerald eyes.

"Morning…" She said with a yawn.

"Yeah…" I said, removing my covers and getting up from my bed. I was only wearing my boxers and a T-shirt, and Rikku blushed at my lack of clothing. Speaking of clothing, Rikku's was still tattered and worn from the fall through the portal, and even mine were a bit worse for wear. I decided that today we would go find a change of wardrobe and quickly got dressed as Rikku fixed her hair, a long process that actually required my help to hold it up in several places while she braided other parts of it and put on her blue headband.

"Thanks," She said, slipping on her boots. "Maybe I ought to adopt a more manageable hairstyle."

"I liked how you wore it three years ago. You were cuter then." I teased. This got a rise out of Rikku as she puffed up her cheeks and furrowed her brow.

"Heeeey, you big meanie!" She pouted, sticking her tongue out at me. I laughed and ruffled her just done hair before making my way to the door.

"Whaddaya say we go buy some clothes today?"

"Lead the way," Rikku made an over-dramatic bow and gestured to the door with her arm. I walked into the inn hallway, followed by the Al Bhed girl, and into the village. There were far more people out than yesterday evening, and I decided to ask a woman nearby where we could get some new clothes. She led us to a quaint little shop a ways from the inn and we went inside, looking around at the store's collection of fabric and clothing. A pair of black nylon shorts caught my eye, and I noticed Rikku looking at a blue-grey shirt that would only cover up to her belly button and leave her shoulders exposed. It was less revealing than what she wore now, at least. I tried on a few outfits, deciding on a pair of long, baggy shorts that almost reached my ankles. I also bought a new black vest that had a belt along the waist with a large buckle in the middle. It zipped up just to the end of my pectorals and tapered off into a pair of large white lapels like you would see on a tuxedo. It had a pale yellow sleeve on the left arm and a metal shoulder guard on the right that was decorated with a sort of swirly design that reminded me of Rikku's eyes. A pair of black leather gloves with metal wrist cuffs caught my eye as I went to check on Rikku. I picked them up and headed to the girl's section, where I saw my bubbly friend emerging from the dressing room. Man, was she a sight for sore eyes. Her blue headband had been replaced by a red one, and she wore a strange sort of shirt that was skintight black fabric on the right side and a cerulean polymer that covered her left breast and made an angle at her midsection, its vertex tied with a ribbon, that turned into a layered skirt, similar to the half-skirt Yuna wore, only it covered her entire waist. The skirt ended in the middle of her thigh, where a small pouch was tied over white stockings. She wore the same scarf, which she adjusted as I approached her.

"Wow… Not bad, Rikku." I said, blushing at how the skintight fabric accentuated her modest cleavage.

"Not so bad yourself, mister." She jabbed my stomach lightly with her elbow. "But.. It needs a little something…" She looked around, scanning the store. "Oh, perfect!"

Rikku scampered across the floor and picked up a silk crimson scarf, which she wrapped around my head. After messing with my hair a little, it really did complete the outfit. I had to hand it to Rikku. She knew fashion.

"Now we're matching!" She said, pointing to the red fabric on her head.

"I guess we are."

We entered the large temple that looked like the focal point of the entire village, expecting something similar to what they had in Spira, and for the most part, we were right. The only things missing were the statues and anything to do with Yevon –understandable since there were no summoners or Yevon here. Many people were praying in front of small altars that lined either side of the room, and a man dressed in some sort of religious garb stood before a large statue of some kind of beast. Rikku and I approached him, and, hearing our footsteps, he turned around.

"I had heard we had some visitors. How may I help you?" He asked, bowing slightly.

"We come from a place far away," Rikku said. "We want to learn about the, um, customs and… religion of this… region." I gave Rikku a big thumbs up in my head for thinking on her feet.

"My, where must you have come from that you do not know the customs?" The old man held surprise in his voice as he looked between the two of us. "Well, it matters not. It pleases me to see the young folks so interested in the temples." The man turned to the statue behind him. The beast resembled a large sort of serpent, its mouth lined with razor sharp teeth and its back decorated with big, spiky fins. "This statue depicts Charybdis, the god of the seas. It is said that it has the power to create whirlpools and massive tsunamis. The last record of its wrath was some two hundred years ago, when Charybdis and the god of earth Namazu shook the land and flooded the cities of the entire country. Legend says that this occurred because the people lacked faith in Yurlungur and his five sons. Now, you will see many temples like this one all across the land of Mysidia. This one in particular is one of the five Holy Temples dedicated to the five sons of the Great Aeon."

I gave Rikku an inquisitive glance, and put my hand to my chin in thought. So the people here worshiped and feared Yurlungur as a god, just like the people of that Fayth girl's village. Could they be connected somehow?

"Hey old man, you said Yurlungur, right? Is there a temple for him too?" I asked, a thought forming in my head.

"Why, yes there is… at least there was. The Great Temple vanished about a thousand years ago, along with the village that housed it. It is a great mystery, even to this day."

Just as I thought.

"Thank you, sir. We learned a lot." I said, giving him a short bow just as he had given us when Rikku and I greeted him. We left the temple and walked out into the noontime sun, feeling the heat growing on our backs and the questions filling up our heads as we prepared to leave the village. If Yurlungur was real, then did that mean those five other guys were too? Did that mean we would have to fight them? I could only hope that we weren't getting in over our heads on this journey, and that we would find Auron soon. Yevon knows we would need all the help we could get if we were gonna take down a bunch of gods.

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><p>Do you like the new designs I thought up for Rikku and Tidus? I drew some rough sketches that I posted on my deviantart (knation12) so you can better see what they look like. I kind of took inspiration for Tidus' outfit from Shuyin and the sketch of Tidus in the HD Remaster's audio drama -Will-. Also tell me if you guys like the world I've come up with and its lorereligion if not, tell me what I can do to spice it up. I really want to keep it interesting for you guys.

I will also be uploading this fic to Archive of Our Own due to FanFictions guidelines and limitations, where the sexy times that will occur later on will be available to read.

As always, review/fav/follow and thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

Sofya quietly snuck past the burly man on her couch and tip-toed to the front door, being careful not to wake him up. She opened the door a crack and slipped out, delicately clicking it back shut, and released her held breath as the cool night air tickled her skin. Sofya looked at the moon, full and bright, and sent a silent prayer up to the heavens. This was a daily ritual for her, going out to the beach and tending Talya's grave. That was what she was going to do earlier in the day, when she found Auron lying unconscious on the shore, his body soaked and freezing. As long as there were no more bodies washed ashore, Sofya would be safe to chat with Talya. She retraced the path she and Auron took that day, making sure to avoid any fiends that became active at night.

The wet gravel crunched and squished under Sofya's boots as she walked to shore, and the dull roar of the ocean echoed in the dark.

"Hi, Talya…" She said, standing over a crude little tombstone she made shortly after Talya's death a few months back. To anyone else, it just looked like an odd rock on the beach, and no one gave it a second thought if they noticed it, but to Sofya, it was something that she could use to feel close to Talya. "I'm back again."

Sofya knelt down to the rock and placed a pink lily at its base.

"They were your favorite. You said it was because they reminded you of me." She gave a small reflective laugh, remembering the day she and Talya first saw the pink flowers blooming in a field near their house. The memory only caused Sofya pain now, and through the nostalgia, a sudden sadness washed over her. She sobbed, head in her hands, and felt her hot tears drip through her fingers and onto the ground, mixing with the waves of the ocean. "I'm so sorry, Talya. I'm so, so sorry. Because of me, you…" Another sob cut Sofya off, and she just knelt there for a minute, crying over her best friend's grave.

"Stand up." A deep voice came from behind, startling Sofya. Auron was there, walking to her. Sofya did as she was told and wiped her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, sniffling.

"You're wasting your time." Auron gave a curt reply, looking intently at the young woman in front of him.

"Huh?" Sofya looked back at him, eyes as puffy and red as his coat.

"Saying sorry to the dead. Crying because they're gone. It's a waste of time."

Sofya felt anger at this man's cynical words. What did he know?! He had no right to come here and disrespect the dead. "How can you say that?!"

"Instead of apologizing, why don't you do something? The dead can't hear you, so all we can do is honor their memory." Auron walked closer to the shore and stopped when the waves lapped at his black boots. "Don't just wallow in your own guilt and tears like a fool. I'm sure Talya wouldn't want that."

Sofya gazed at Auron's sizeable back, thinking on his words. Perhaps there was more to this man than met the eye. What seemed like a rude and cynical speech had turned out to be some insightful advice. Sofya walked forward, stopping just behind Auron. She reached her arm out, then hesitated, wondering if it was okay to touch the gruff and stoic man before her. Deciding it was, she wrapped her arms around his stomach and rested her head on his back, reveling in the warmth that the embrace gave her in this cold and stagnant night.

"You're right…" Sofya whispered. "All I've been is a fool."

"So what are you going to do about it?" Auron asked, the vibrations of his deep voice tickling Sofya's cheek. She thought for a moment, feeling safe and warm in the back of the man in red. It was a feeling she didn't want to leave behind, a feeling she hadn't felt since Talya was still with her. For months, Sofya had been miserable and alone, barely getting by with what little she was left in the wake of her best friend's death. She finally felt okay again, holding Auron in her arms like this.

"Can I come with you?" She asked meekly, preparing for a determined 'no' and a shove to the side. She could feel Auron's already hard abdominal muscles tense up under her palms, and she suddenly felt the urge to cry again. Instead, she didn't believe what she heard.

"As you wish." Auron said, his voice calm and sure as ever.

"Really?" Sofya released Auron from her hug, ushering a sigh of relief from the brusque man.

"Just don't forget to follow the leader." He joked.

As if making a point of this statement, Auron turned around and walked past Sofya, toward the road that led to Rumald. His heavy footsteps crunched loudly under the night sky, and Sofya watched him walk away one last time, vowing to follow him wherever he'd take her.

The next day, Auron and Sofya started their day long trek to Faldrin Village. They departed from the east gate of the town, onto a dirt road that stretched through a vast forest-like landscape similar to the Kilika Woods, only more open and wild.

As they walked through the thick of the forest, the two travelers ran into a group of three Wasps, who attacked as soon as they sensed people. Auron stepped in front of Sofya, his sword unsheated, and slashed at one of them, visibly stunning it. The other two charged forward, readying their sharp stingers as they closed in on Auron and Sofya. One of them zoomed past Auron, flying straight for the small pink haired girl. To his surprise, however, she seemed unfazed. Auron watched as she pulled out a pair of cestuses from her pouch and slipped them over her hands. Just as the wasp was about to sting her, Sofya stepped out of the way and countered from behind, landing a hard jab to the insect's midsection. It fell back, and Sofya took that chance to finish it off, swinging her fist down on the wasp's head, crushing it. The enemy burst into pyreflies, and Sofya turned around, proudly sticking out her chest.

"How do you like that?" She said, entering her battle pose. Auron nodded and readied his sword again, chopping the wasp that still had all of its health in two. Through its comrade's pyreflies came the third wasp, catching the red-clad man off guard. He took a hit and stumbled back a bit, seeing a flash of pink hair and white clothes beat the flying pest down. Sofya turned to Auron and examined his wound.

"Does it hurt?" She asked, pulling a potion from her bag.

"A bit. I'm fine." He took the potion and poured it over the scratch on his arm, wincing at the initial sting. After a second, the sting turned to a pleasant warmth, which eventually dissipated as the wound closed up. He drank the rest of the bottlesnd replenished his energy. "Let's continue on. We've got a long road ahead of us."

The trek through the forest was long and arduous, and when Sofya finally saw the mass of trees thin out into a clearing, her face grew into a serene grin. Finally, they were out of the woods and could feel unobstructed sunlight on their faces. The smell of dirt and leaves was also replaced by a fresh, grassy smell and the path before them was far clearer, growing from a dirt footpath to an actual paved road.

"We're almost to Delmar. I can't wait! That place has all the best restaurants and shops! It even has its own blitzball stadium! My parents used to take me there on business trips when they were still alive… I wonder if it's changed much…" Sofya gazed out to the horizon, her hand shielding her eyes from the sun, which was already starting to set. Auron figured it must have been late afternoon, and watched Sofya as she reminisced about her parents. He thought of the way she was last night, crying and vulnerable. It was a far throw from her current state, and Auron wondered if the girl was trying too hard to hide her emotions. Braska was the same way back then, never letting his guardians know he was anguished over leaving his wife and daughter to defeat Sin, knowing he'd never return to them.

Auron remembered the way Sofya had embraced him, remembered her small hands wrapped around his torso and the warmth of her breath on his back. Auron didn't usually like physical contact from others, but the girl seemed so pitiful. He didn't have the heart to refuse her. Besides that, he knew that nothing was worse than the guilt over a friend's death, and wanted to do whatever he could to distract Sofya from it.

"Enough rest. It's time to go," Auron commanded. Sofya nodded and returned to Auron's side, waving at the baby chocobo she had been feeding. As it scurried off with a 'kweh', she and Auron marched on down the road ahead of them.

Delmar was a trading town with large gates leading outside in the north, northeast, west, south, and southeast districts. Most of the homes were stucco or some other kind of stonemasonry, and the ground was cobblestone. There were merchants every which way Auron looked, and the hustle and bustle of a busy town was evident as he and Sofya passed through the shopping districs. Auron had to pull Sofya away from many of the accessory and clothing shops, saying that they simply didn't have time to waste on petty jewelry or fashion, which warranted a good number of whines and coaxing from the young girl.

"Aww, come on, Auron, I never get to come here!" She said, pouting and looking at him with big puppy dog eyes. Sighing, Auron gave in, and he accompanied Sofya to a few shops before getting tired of it and telling her to just meet him at the inn when she was done. He would never understand these types of women who enjoyed shopping so much that they'd go to dozens of stores before they got tired.

When he arrived at the inn, Auron was impressed by what he saw. In contrast to the loud, excited bar scene back in Rumald, the first floor housed a classy restaurant, complete with soft music and dim lighting. Auron felt his stomach growl and realized he hadn't eaten a thing since he and Sofya left Rumald, and wondered what was taking the girl so long. As if on cue, the pink haired girl turned the corner with several bags in her hands and a smile on her face.

"Sorry, did you wait long?" She asked, following Auron into the building.

"It's fine," He said, then asked the man at the counter for a table in the restaurant. The host gave Auron two menus, led him and Sofya to a table near the entrance, then took their orders and sauntered off toward the kitchen.

After eating, Auron decided that since they had already stopped and wouldn't get to Faldrin by nightfall, he'd get a room at the inn. Sofya seemed happy about this, said something about her feet being tired, then hurried upstairs to the designated chambers, where she immediately crawled into the bed on the left of the room. Auron took the remaining one, and after listening to Sofya talk on and on about her shopping adventure today, closed his eyes and let sleep take over.

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><p>This chapter was just sort of backstory for Sofya and helped to lay down the grounds of her and Auron's relationship. I'm still debating whether to pair them up romantically or not.. We'll see where it goes! Also, a cestus is a sort of fighting glove. You see thee a lot in FF. I really didn't want Sofya to be a generic girl class like white or black mage, so I gave her some fighting skills. As always, reviewfav/follow and thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

Rikku walked beside Tidus, watching his hair flutter in the slight early morning breeze. They had decided to see the beach one last time before continuing their journey. She plopped down in the sand near the shore and felt the waves tickle her toes, sending little shivers up her back each time the tide came in. Tidus stared out to the orange sunrise, no doubt thinking about Yunie back in Spira. His muscular frame was accentuated by the shadows cast by his clothes, and he held a stern expression on his face. He looked manly, Rikku thought, in the soft light of sunrise, and she found herself thinking that she wanted to kiss him. She thought about this a lot, actually, and she blushed as the object of her lust and affection opened his mouth.

"Rikku, you, uh… You okay?" He asked, noticing her stare.

"Huh? Uh, yeah. I was just thinking about stuff." Rikku replied, blushing. Tidus walked over to her and sat down, then kicked off his shoes and relaxed his feet near Rikku's in the water. He was sitting so near to her that she could feel his body heat, and she felt her cheeks get hot every time his feet grazed hers.

"There sure is a lot to think about." Tidus said, leaning back. His vest opened up more, offering a nice view of his pectorals and some of his abs. The sight of those perfect bumps under Tidus' clothes was almost overwhelming for her. Ever since he found her on the Moonflow that day three years ago, Rikku had harbored some pretty strong feelings for Tidus. Thinking of her cousin back home, Rikku sighed and looked off into the distance. Rikku loved Tidus, but she also loved Yuna like a sister, and there are lines that sisters just do not cross.

"What in the world are we gonna do?" She said, lying down in the warm sand. "I mean, it's not like we even know where this Yur-whatever guy is!"

"Still," Tidus said, his voice stern and deep. "The people of Spira… Even the people here in Mysidia… They're all in danger and they don't even know it. Who's gonna save everyone if not us?" Tidus plopped his back down in imitation of Rikku and watched the clouds roll by overhead. Rikku smiled, admiring Tidus' heroic words. That was one of the traits she loved most about him. He was always so heroic, so dependable.

"You're right." Rikku said. She put her arm around Tidus' and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm just scared, y'know. What if we can't do it? What if… What if we fail, and everyone dies… Yunie, Brother, Pops, Wakka, Lulu, Paine, Kimahri… everyone… gone because we couldn't do it."

"Rikku…" Tidus looked down at her with sympathetic blue eyes and put his free arm around her shoulder, locking her in a soft embrace. "I know how you feel. But we've saved the world before, right? You did it twice! I know we can pull through this time."

Rikku looked up at him, her green eyes meeting his blue ones, and she felt this little tinge in her chest as her heartbeat grew faster. Rikku just stayed like that, staring into Tidus's two ocean blue eyes, barely able to breathe. In that moment, Rikku couldn't feel the fear of failure, the overwhelming pressure of saving two worlds, or even the air around her. All she felt were Tidus' strong hands moving to her shoulders and her own hands traveling to his neck. It was as if she wasn't in control anymore.

The next thing she felt were Tidus' lips against her own, begging to go deeper. Rikku let him, feeling his tongue enter her mouth and press against her own. She moaned softly as their tongues intertwined and danced together, parting for short breaths as if spinning away from each other as they danced, only to come back for more. Tidus' lips melded with Rikku's as she sucked on his tongue and he sucked back, then moved to her lower lip. Rikku felt an overwhelming flood of guilt and pleasure as she let her body take over, swinging her leg over Tidus', straddling him and pushing him down. If Yuna knew what was going on here, what would she do? Would she silently let it happen and go off somewhere to deal with it alone? Would she scream and yell at Rikku and demand that they never speak again? Both situations burned her to the core, enough to bring her back to her senses and stop kissing the blond man underneath her.

"We can't…" Rikku said, moving off of him and looking away. "It isn't right. What about Yunie?"

"Shit." Tidus said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Shit, you're right, Rikku. I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me." He sighed and rested his hands on his knees. Rikku could hear the regret and guilt in his voice, and while it hurt, she knew that kissing him wouldn't have ended up another way. How could she let herself get carried away like that? _I'm such an idiot,_ she thought.

"I know… I'm sorry too. We just got caught up in the moment. It didn't… It didn't mean anything." Rikku was lying through her teeth. It _had_ meant something. It meant everything to her, and she had fantasized about it for three whole years. She turned back to Tidus, who was looking at her with these eyes that seemed to be searching the air around them for something to say. He opened his mouth as if to do so, then shut it, and opened it again, hesitating once more. Finally, he let out the words that hung on his lips.

"What if…" He started, pausing as if deciding whether or not to continue. "What if it did mean something?"

Rikku's heart froze for a moment, and a flood of emotions swam through her head. She felt happiness that he had felt that something too, sadness that he had cheated on Yuna with her, frustration that he even would… How was she supposed to react? What was she supposed to say? She wanted to jump back into his arms and let him hold her some more, but she knew that wasn't fair to Yuna, who was back in Spira crying her eyes out in worry for the two of them.

"It doesn't matter. You're with Yuna… Nothing good would come from us being together," said Rikku, holding back tears.

"I know, but…" Tidus ran a hand through his perfect blond hair. "But I just have to say it. I've felt this way for a really long time now, and, well…" His voice trailed off as he gathered his thoughts.

"Well?"

"I love you, Rikku."

The Al Bhed girl hung her head as the shame and guilt attacked her brain like a swarm of hungry piranha. She knew logically that being with Tidus was wrong and immoral and a violation of the dear friendship she had with Yuna, but the sharp pain in her chest and the butterflies in her stomach drowned out the protests from her conscience. Rikku fell back into Tidus' arms and hid her teary face in his chest, softly hitting him with a clenched fist.

"I love you too, you big dumb idiot."

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><p>Short(er) chapter, but finally, the moment you've all been reading for has arrived! I figured it was about time <em>something <em>happened between them, since its already chapter 11 and all. As always, review/fav/follow and thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

I walked back to the village holding Rikku's hand. While its warmth felt nice in the cooling weather, a cold guilt had been placed like a seed in my heart, growing with each passing minute. It festered within me, whispering Yuna's name in my ear and spitting out dirty insults. _Cheater. Womanizer. Filanderer._ My conscience pulled no punches as it assaulted my mind, and the only thing that eased it was the sight of Rikku's blushing face. I had no doubt in my mind that she felt guilty too, having betrayed her cousin and succumbed to her feelings. I kept telling myself that we were meant to be, Rikku and me… That it was fate that she was the first face I saw in Spira. I knew deep down that I was just cheating on Yuna, though. If anyone found out… What would they say? Wakka'd probably be pissed at me; he'd call me a piece of shit. Lulu would definitely wring my neck, and Kimahri… I don't even want to think about it. Rikku looked up at me as we neared the village entrance, uncertainty in her eyes.

"Is it no good after all?" She asked, tightening her grip in my hand. "Maybe we really shouldn't..."

"Rikku, believe me, I'm guilty too. It's eating away at me inside. But you know what?" I wiped a tear that fell from her misty eye. "My feelings for you… They're stronger. It may not be the ideal thing for everybody else right now, but for me at least, it is the only thing I want."

Rikku looked away and smiled, her cheeks taking on a slight pink hue. I felt her inch closer to me, and I did the same so that our shoulders were practically touching. We stayed like that the rest of the way to Faldrin, silently walking side by side as the sun inched higher in the morning sky. Maybe it was selfish, but this was my story, and I was writing it the way my heart was telling me to. Yuna and the others can wait until we've dealt with what needs to be done here in Mysida. Having Rikku by my side only strengthened my will to protect her and the rest of the people I loved from the disaster that was Yurlungur.

Today, Rikku and I planned to set out from Faldrin to the small town of Gaia to visit the Temple of Namazu. There, we would gather more information on how to find Yurlungur, and perhaps how to prevent it from starting a disaster. To get there, we'd have to cross the Delmar plains to the town of Delmar, then head north to Gaia through the Cavern of the Sealed Beast. I didn't like the sound of that place, and I made sure I had my prime equipment with me. Rikku stocked up on healing and support items from the shop before we left, and we set out from the east exit of the village that led to the plains.

The trek across the plains was pretty straightforward. According to the map I bought from the temple guide, there was a single path that went on for about twenty miles to the Delmar West Gate. There were a few campsites along the way, and it looked like the path was often traveled by fish traders, making fiends and animals wary of venturing out onto the path. Once Rikku and I confirmed we were ready to head out, we took our first step onto the Delmar Plains.

The path was as easy as the map suggested it would be, and Rikku and I made small talk as we crossed through the grassy fields. It was calming, being surrounded by so much green, and Rikku's smiling face washed away the guilt I was feeling earlier. Out here, there was nothing but me and her together, the awkward-but-cute brushing of shoulders, and the smell of wildflowers surrounding us. It was bliss.

About halfway to Delmar, we reached a small campsite, where a number of other people had stopped to rest. Rikku and I decided to take a break as well, and sat on a log near the fire pit. The campsite was really nothing more than a cheaply put together rest area, marked by the wire fence that encircled it. The area's diameter looked to be about two hundred feet, and supply carts were parked alongside various tents and sleeping bags. As I warmed my hands in the embers of the campfire, Rikku nudged my shoulder.

"Hey, Tidus. Isn't that…" She pointed to a muscular man in a large red haori. He was talking to some girl with pink hair and a white blouse.

"Auron?!" I shouted. Man, how long had it been since we'd seen him? Three days? Rikku and I made our way over to greet him. Hearing our footsteps, he and the girl turned toward us. Auron made a surprised look, and the young woman just tilted her head, wondering who we were.

"Who are these guys?" Asked the short statured girl, looking up at Auron.

"The friends we set out here for." He replied. The girl looked at Rikku and I, then smiled and held out her hand.

"My name is Sofya. It's nice to meet you."

I took her hand and introduced myself, then introduced Rikku, who seemed happy to finally have another girl to talk to. I left them to chat and decided to fill Auron in on the situation.

"We're going to the town of Gaia, north of Delmar. We think we can find out more about Yurlungur from the temple there."

"They have temples here too?" Auron said, scoffing. "It seems people are brainwashed even in other worlds."

"That's not all. Besides Yurlungur, there are like five other guys that are his sons or whatever. There's one for Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Lightning. The people here worship them as gods."

"It did seem that way in the temple in Spira."

"Oh right, I think that temple in Spira used to be here. The old guy at the Faldrin temple told us about a village that disappeared along with the Great Temple a long time ago."

"Interesting." Auron placed a hand to his chin in thought, then turned to Rikku and Sofya, telling them it was time to go. The two girls rejoined us, seeming to have become fast friends. Sofya took her place beside Auron, and Rikku stood next to me.

"Where are we headed?" Sofya asked. It seemed she was going to be with us for a while.

"We're going to Delmar, then Gaia." I told her. She gave a look of distress, then gave an exasperated sigh.

"But we just came from there!" She frowned and looked up at Auron. "I'm not sure about you guys, but I'm pretty exhausted. Can we rest here for the night? Please?" Sofya implored, giving Auron a puppy-eyed stare. He sighed, then resigned to the pink haired girl's plea. It seemed the grumpy old man had a soft spot for this woman.

"I'm pooped, too." Rikku said. "You guys find a spot to pitch the tents. Sofya, how about we go look for firewood? I think they have some on the other side of the campsite." Rikku latched on to her new friend, who nodded in agreement. Auron and I were stuck with putting up the tents, which I always hated on our journey to beat Sin, and took out the supplies from our inventory.

"So what's up with Sofya?" I asked, hammering in one of the tent's corners.

"What do you mean?" Auron asked, pulling out another stake.

"Are you two… you know…?" I smirked at him, moving to the next corner.

"She wanted to come with me, so I let her. We aren't in any kind of relationship."

"Really? You seemed to give in to her pretty easily. I remember you making us go on even when we were on our last legs." I joked. Auron sighed, obviously finding this conversation tedious, and finished hammering in the last stake of the first tent. With that one up, we moved on to the next one.

"And you and Rikku? You seem close."

Dammit. Auron always had some weird sixth sense about people, and I blushed as it hit right on the mark. I wasn't ready to let him know about our relationship for fear that he might forbid it and force Rikku and me apart.

"Uh, what do you mean?" I asked, feigning ignorance. "We've always been close."

"You know what I mean." Auron said sternly. "You look at her the same way Yuna looks at you. What have you been doing while we were separated?"

I frowned at his mention of Yuna, the guilt once again clawing its way through my chest. I looked up at Auron, his eyebrows knitted in disdain. I thought about what to say, about whether I should tell him or not. I trusted Auron, and he had always given me good advice. Maybe I should ask him what to do. I wanted to be with Rikku, but I didn't want to hurt Yuna.

"I… We kissed." I confessed. Auron sighed, crossing his arms in disapproval. "Auron, I don't know what to do. I love Rikku. But Yuna... I don't want to hurt her."

"Tidus…" Auron thought for a moment, then looked at me with a father-like expression I hadn't seen since we were back in Zanarkand. "There is no way that can happen. You either stay with Yuna or you hurt her. That's it. There is no in between."

I sighed. Auron was right. I would just have to deal with hurting Yuna. I could only hope that she would forgive me and be able to move on. I struck hard at the stake in the ground, pouring my frustrations into each swing of the hammer. When it was secure, I moved to the next, while Auron finished up the other two. Just as the final stake had been driven into the ground and the tent was set, Rikku and Sofya returned with plenty of firewood, giggling to each other. Rikku dropped her armful into the fire pit, followed by Sofya, who then lit it with a fire spell. The heat was welcome in the bitter night air, and everyone huddled around the fire.

"Auron," I whispered, "Does she know about us? That we're from Spira and everything?"

"She doesn't." He said. "It didn't make much sense to tell her before now. If she is to join us on this journey, I suppose it would be wise to do so."

"Wise to do what?" Sofya asked.

"Uh, you might not believe us, but we're kinda from another world." I started. Sofya tilted her head, confused. "You see, we came here from a place called Spira, because we have to find a monster here that's threatening both it and this world."

"Monster? Spira? Auron, what is he talking about?"

"It is true. We thought you should know since you'll be accompanying us. We came to this world to destroy Yurlungur."

Sofya's eyes widened at the sound of the name. "Yurlungur? He's a god! You'll get yourself killed! You can't go up against something like that! You can't!" She seemed to almost be in tears. To say it was an overreaction was an understatement.

"I know you worship him and all, but he's gonna destroy everything, you know? Someone has to stop him!" Rikku said, trying to calm her down.

"No! Please, I don't want you to die too! I finally found someone I can be with, and you're just gonna die anyway! Why?!" Sofya stood up, staring at Auron with teary eyes.

"I see." He said. "Is this about Talya?"

"Talya?" I asked. Sofya had said we would die 'too'. What did she mean? She seemed to have calmed down a bit and sat back down, hanging her head.

"My best friend. We… We tried to do the same thing. To kill Yurlungur. We wanted to help Sarisa… To free her soul from Yurlungur. But he was too powerful! Talya… She got killed trying to protect me!"

"I'm sorry…" I said. "But even if we do die, we have to try to save everyone! I'm not going to just sit here and let Yurlungur destroy everything I love."

"Sofya. Didn't you decide to do something for Talya?" Auron asked her. She looked up at him for a moment, thinking. After a while, she nodded.

"You mean… this? Help you guys out?"

"Yes. If we succeed, you will have avenged Talya. If we don't, at least you will be with her again." Auron placed a large hand on Sofya's shoulder, a rare gesture of comfort from the man.

"Either way, she'll be proud of you." Rikku said, smiling. Sofya looked at each of us, measuring our will, then closed her eyes and smiled.

"You're right. I'll help you. For Talya."

For an hour or so after, we sat under the night sky, feeling the heat of the campfire on our bodies as we got to know Sofya. We were happy to have such a kind, caring person among us on our journey, and everyone went to sleep that night with strengthened resolves and stronger bonds. We were ready to take on a god to save the worlds.

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><p>Merry christmas everyone! Here is your gift. Another chapter of this mediocre fanfiction! I really wanted to portray the awkwardness of falling in love with someone while you're still in a relationship, and not knowing what to do about it. Hopefully I've done so? Anyway, as always, REVIEWfollow/fave, and thank you for reading!


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